Gilbert Durendal
Gilbert Durendal is the Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council, and was a member of the moderate faction led by the late Siegel Clyne up until his death during the First Junius War. He publicly states a desire for peace throughout the Earth Sphere, and an end to the still-ongoing hostility between Naturals and Coordinators. Personality Durendal is a highly charismatic and extremely intelligent man, who publicly denounces the genocidal policies espoused by his predecessor and pursued by the Alliance both in the First Junius War and the new conflict that breaks out in CE 75. However, he is also not above using deception, as after the disappearance of Lacus Clyne following the end of the war, he found and recruited a young woman whose voice was identical to that of Lacus, and whom he has convinced to impersonate Lacus in order to further his own agenda. History Little is known of Durendal's early history. He served in a junior position in the PLANT government during the First Junius War, and was among the supporters of Siegel Clyne. Following the war's end, he rose to the Supreme Council, and was elected its Chairman in CE 73. During this time, he began the New Millenium Project, a sweeping effort to restructure ZAFT's forces in accordance with the Treaty of Junius Seven, which resulted in the creation of a new battleship as well as a number of prototype mobile suits, including the Impulse and Saviour Gundams and the new production model ZAKU Warrior, which was followed by additional mobile suits based on its design. In February CE 75, Durendal was part of the Junius Seven memorial delegation, and as such he traveled to Orb, where he embarked on a shuttle with the other delegates headed for the Debris Belt, where the remains of the colony were located. In the ensuing battle between terrorists who sought to drop the remains of the colony and ZAFT forces attempting to destroy it, he and the other delegates transferred to the Minerva, ''which then descended to Earth in a partially-successful attempt to destroy the falling remains. Subsequently he left Orb for Carpentaria, then returned to the PLANTs, while ZAFT forces worldwide were mobilized for disaster relief. When Athrun Zala returned to the PLANTs to meet with him, Durendal offered to him the chance to pilot the Saviour Gundam, which Athrun eventually accepted. Durendal made him a member of the élite Special Operations unit FAITH(Fast Acting Integrated Tactical Headquarters), reporting directly to the Supreme Council, and sent him to rejoin with the ''Minerva ''on Earth. Some time later, Durendal travelled to Bandirma, where he met with Athrun as well as the crew of the ''Minerva, ''including young ace Shinn Asuka, the pilot of the Impulse. There, he revealed to them the existence of a secretive organization called Logos, who were the paymasters of Blue Cosmos and whom he suspected of being the ones responsible for the current war. He returned to the PLANTs shortly thereafter. When Athrun requests of his commanding officer and old friend Yzak a chance to attempt to find and speak with his old friend Kira Yamato, and Lunamaria Hawke is secretly sent to spy on the meeting, a report of the meeting supplied by Lunamaria to Yzak, who thereby learns that Lacus is dead, killed by a team that infiltrated Orb in secret. Yzak's report is then sent to Ezalia Joule, and from her to Durendal. In truth, Durendal personally ordered the team that infiltrated Orb to do so. Late in the war, the Atlantic Federation reveals the giant mobile armor GFAS-X1 Destroy, which causes massive damage throughout the Eurasian Federation before it is finally destroyed in Hamburg by the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam. The Eurasian Federation then declares war on the Atlantic Federation, and shortly thereafter Durendal himself moves by publicly revealing the existence of Logos, a powerful military-industrial complex that not only are the primary backers of Blue Cosmos, but also have manipulated the Alliance in order to cause the current situation of open warfare, and vows that he will destroy them, stating that in so doing he intends to bring an end to the war and hatred that has pitted the Earth and the PLANTs against each other. Soon after this declaration, Durendal orders the ''Archangel ''and the Freedom destroyed in Operation Angel Down, which would succeed as the ''Archangel ''suffers fatal damage at the hands of the ''Minerva, ''while Shinn personally destroys the Freedom. Durendal would commit ZAFT forces to a series of attacks first on Heaven's Base, then Orb, aimed at capturing Logos and Jibril. Much of Logos is captured at Heaven's Base, but Jibril escapes both times. Durendal's true agenda is revealed after Logos's ultimate defeat in the First Battle of Daedalus, when the Daedalus lunar base and its long-range cannon Requiem are captured by ZAFT and Jibril is finally killed. Durendal himself would order Requiem fired at the larger Arzachel Base, killing both Presidents Baum and Copeland as they prepared to negotiate a ceasefire between their respective nations. His true aim is to totally eliminate the ability of any nation on Earth to wage war or manufacture weapons, leaving the PLANTs alone as the sole military superpower in the Earth Sphere and thereby subjugating the Alliance. However, his goals, as well as his actions in precipitating and escalating the conflict are revealed and he is deposed and disavowed by the PLANTs. Subsequently, Durendal is killed when the ''Gondwana is destroyed in the Second Battle of Daedalus, with the Requiem Cannon also destroyed, bringing an end to the hostilities.